Platelet Donation by Apheresis for Female Blood Donors with Low Hemoglobin or Iron Deficiency.
- 1Regional Blood Transfusion Center Northwestern Switzerland, Swiss Red Cross, Switzerland.
- 2Department of Hematology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- 3University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Abstract
Introduction
In Switzerland, platelet (PLT) donation is allowed with hemoglobin (Hb) ≥110 g/L and ≥120 g/L for women and men, respectively. We report on a policy of proposing PLT apheresis to female donors no longer eligible for whole blood (WB) donation because of low Hb and/or iron deficiency.Methods
We assessed 85 women with Hb <125 g/L and/or ferritin ≤ 15 µg/L who changed to PLT apheresis between 01/1997 and 12/2023 and underwent at least one PLT apheresis/year. Hb and ferritin were evaluated at the first WB donation, at the first and last PLT apheresis and were estimated as adjusted values over 30 PLT donations. Donor retention over a 24-month period was evaluated.Results
The switch to PLT apheresis occurred after a median of 3 (range: 1-33) WB donations. In 42 women (49%), both Hb and ferritin were low, 32 (38%) had low ferritin, and 11 (13%) low Hb only, respectively. Median age (range) at first WB donation and at last PLT donation was 30 years (18-53 years) and 45 years (19-68 years), respectively. Median (range) Hb and ferritin were 134 g/L (120-153 g/L) and 24 µg/L (2-177 µg/L) at the first WB donation and 130 g/L (103-154 g/L) and 14.5 µg/L (3-113 µg/L) at the last PLT apheresis. Over the course of 30 PLT donations and adjusted for donor age, an increasing trend was observed for both Hb (mean + 0.26 g/L; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.35; p < 0.001) and ferritin (mean + 0.48 µg/L; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.75; p < 0.001). At the end of a 24-month period, 94% (95% CI: 86.4%, 97.5%) women were still donating.Conclusion
Women with low Hb and/or iron deficiency benefit from a change to PLT donation and can be retained as regular, highly committed PLT donors.
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BibTeX
@article{infanti2026platelet,
title = {{Platelet Donation by Apheresis for Female Blood Donors with Low Hemoglobin or Iron Deficiency.}},
author = {Laura Infanti and Vildana Pehlic and Thomas Volken and Gregor Stehle and Andreas Holbro and Andreas Buser},
journal = {Transfusion medicine and hemotherapy : offizielles Organ der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Transfusionsmedizin und Immunhamatologie},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1159/tmh/aevag005},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910004},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Platelet Donation by Apheresis for Female Blood Donors with Low Hemoglobin or Iron Deficiency.
AU - Laura Infanti
AU - Vildana Pehlic
AU - Thomas Volken
AU - Gregor Stehle
AU - Andreas Holbro
AU - Andreas Buser
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/10
JO - Transfusion medicine and hemotherapy : offizielles Organ der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Transfusionsmedizin und Immunhamatologie
DO - 10.1159/tmh/aevag005
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910004
AB - Introduction In Switzerland, platelet (PLT) donation is allowed with hemoglobin (Hb) ≥110 g/L and ≥120 g/L for women and men, respectively. We report on a policy of proposing PLT apheresis to female donors no longer eligible for whole blood (WB) donation because of low Hb and/or iron deficiency.Methods We assessed 85 women with Hb <125 g/L and/or ferritin ≤ 15 µg/L who changed to PLT apheresis between 01/1997 and 12/2023 and underwent at least one PLT apheresis/year. Hb and ferritin were evaluated at the first WB donation, at the first and last PLT apheresis and were estimated as adjusted values over 30 PLT donations. Donor retention over a 24-month period was evaluated.Results The switch to PLT apheresis occurred after a median of 3 (range: 1-33) WB donations. In 42 women (49%), both Hb and ferritin were low, 32 (38%) had low ferritin, and 11 (13%) low Hb only, respectively. Median age (range) at first WB donation and at last PLT donation was 30 years (18-53 years) and 45 years (19-68 years), respectively. Median (range) Hb and ferritin were 134 g/L (120-153 g/L) and 24 µg/L (2-177 µg/L) at the first WB donation and 130 g/L (103-154 g/L) and 14.5 µg/L (3-113 µg/L) at the last PLT apheresis. Over the course of 30 PLT donations and adjusted for donor age, an increasing trend was observed for both Hb (mean + 0.26 g/L; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.35; p < 0.001) and ferritin (mean + 0.48 µg/L; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.75; p < 0.001). At the end of a 24-month period, 94% (95% CI: 86.4%, 97.5%) women were still donating.Conclusion Women with low Hb and/or iron deficiency benefit from a change to PLT donation and can be retained as regular, highly committed PLT donors.
SN - 1660-3796
SN - 1660-3818
ER -